A God in the Realm of Fairies
by NightWing97
Summary: In the year X778, Makarov Dreyar adopts another child into his Fairy Tail family- a young girl with mysterious origins and nothing to her name but an old paintbrush and a rosary bead necklace. Dumped in a foreign land, unable to speak the language, and with no way of returning home, the young girl who claims her name is Okami Amaterasu becomes the newest member of Fairy Tail.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One **

_(X778) _

When Makarov brought the small girl to the guild, he didn't know what to think of the child. He had found her on his way back from Porlyusica's house in the East Forest. She was standing next to a clear pond, clutching an old paintbrush in her small fingers, waving it again and again in the same spiral pattern as if she was trying to paint the air itself. The master watched her for a minute, intrigued yet concerned.

He approached her and asked her what she was doing. She looked at him, but gave no answer. He asked her what her name was, where her parents were, where home was, why she was out in the rain, but the girl just stared at him blankly. Then he asked if he could see her paintbrush. When she didn't object, he reached out to touch the strange brush, but the child suddenly leapt back, jerking the paint brush away and emitting a volley of words that Makarov didn't understand. He smiled apologetically, holding his hands up in surrender.

He took another look at the girl. She seemed younger than Lisanna who was probably around eleven years old. Her hair was a pale pink mess and her eyes were a deep, pure blue. She had red markings like tattoos on her face and a long, red bead necklace looped many around her neck. She wore a red and white sleeveless tunic over a dark blouse with hanging sleeves and thick black pants. There were no shoes on her tiny, dirty feet, and she was sopping wet from head to toe like she had just crawled out of the pond. The paintbrush in her hand was long, wooden, and obviously very old.

As they were standing next to a pond in the middle of the east forest miles away from civilization, Makarov had no explanation for who the foreign child was or how she had gotten there. He decided to take her back to his guild first to get her dry and warm and then try and figure out who she was later. It took some time and creativity for the guild master to convince the girl to come with him, but eventually she seemed to resign herself to something and somehow they finally made it back to the town of Magnolia.

He knew that as the Fairy Tail guild master, he had a responsibility to those who'd lost their way. But he hoped desperately that this one would be a peaceful, calm child unlike most of the other youngsters he had taken into his guild these past several years. Between Natsu, Gray, Mirajane, and Erza, he was surprised the guild hall was still standing. Maybe, just maybe, this foreign girl would be like sweet, little Lisanna! Yes, Makarov thought with a sigh, I don't think the guild could take it if another rambunctious child joined in the constant bickering. But the truth was he didn't know if this child was even a wizard or had any magical ability at all. He could not sense any magical energy coming from her, but in such a pitiful state that wasn't uncommon. She was certainly mysterious though...

When the pair finally reached the guild hall, Makarov stopped them. The girl gazed up at the building, taking it in with wide eyes. Makarov pointed to the guild mark on his shirt and then to the one on the building, saying "Welcome to Fairy Tail, young one." She merely gazed at him, then back at the building.

"Fa-er-I-ta-ru..." The girl breathed.

* * *

"Is that so..." Macao said, setting down his tankard.

"Indeed," the old guild master grunted. He just finished explaining to the younger wizard how he'd come across the child in the forest and brought her back to Fairy Tail.

The young girl had been given some of Lisanna's old clothes to wear since she was the closest to her size. However, she refused to remove her bead necklace or set down the old paintbrush. Now dry and with socks on her feet, she was hungrily gulping down a hot bowl of soup. To Makarov's great relief, Lisanna had not left the girl's side, and Erza was making absolutely certain that Natsu and Gray didn't get anywhere close to her, much to their frustration. Young Elfman was bringing a loaf of bread now and the child took it shyly, but was soon tucking into it gratefully.

"So where do you think the girl came from?" Wakaba asked, puffing on his pipe.

"Hm...," Makarov pondered from his seat on the bar top, "The only thing I know for sure is that she isn't from Fiore. I've never heard the language the girl was speaking."

"But how did she wind up in the middle of the East Forest?" He asked incredulously.

"That is another mystery... " Makarov grumbled, scratching his mustache.

"Maybe she used some kind of Transportation magic?" Wakaba mused distractedly.

"You idiot, she can't be more than nine years old," Macao retorted, his tone dry, "There's no way she could use magic that complicated. Plus, we don't even know if she is a wizard. She could just be a normal kid."

"Hey, I was just-"

But at that moment, there was a loud crash. Wakaba, Macao, and Makarov turned to see Elfman sprawled on the floor, the empty soup bowl he was apparently trying to take back to the kitchen laying in shattered bits across the floor. Lisanna jumped up and rushed to help her brother up. Clearly upset, poor Elfman with tears in his eyes began to pick up the broken shards of the glass bowl, while Lisanna helped him.

The buzz of chatter in the hall resumed, and the three men turned back to their conversation as Erza began barking out orders, "Be careful with the glass you too! Gray, go get them a broom! Elfman, you need to be more careful in the future!"

But something caught Makarov's eye. He turned back again to see that the young girl was out of her seat and was walking over to Lisanna and Elfman. Curious, he watched her tap Lissana on the shoulder. Lisanna turned to the young girl.

"Hey, don't worry. Elfman and I can handle this, it's no big deal," she said, smiling reassuringly.

The young girl just shook her head, carefully taking the pieces of glass from Lisanna's hands and putting them back on the floor with the rest of the debris. She did the same with the glass in Elfman's hands. Highly perplexed, the two glanced at each other and then back at the girl. Once it was all back in a pile on the floor, she gestured for the Strauss siblings to step back. They obeyed, gazing curiously at the girl as she gripped the paintbrush in her right hand. The whole guild had gone silent again, watching to see just what this strange, new child was doing.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Then, she stood up straight, eyes flashing, and raised the old paintbrush over the shattered bowl. It was then that Makarov finally recognized the magic power flowing out from the girl as it suddenly swelled. It was like no magic he had ever come across before, and he watched in rapt curiosity. She began painting the air like he had seen her doing in the forest, but the motion was different, Makarov noted. She seemed to be trying to paint a solid circle in the space above the debris.

And also unlike before, this time she succeeded.

A silvery, sparkling substance that looked like concentrated starlight came off the tip of her brush. It hung in the air above the bowl as the girl painted, much like one of the magical light pens that allows the user to write in midair. As the girl finished with the painted circle, a magic circle appeared at her feet. In a quiet, but certain voice, she prayed, "Wakagaeri." The painted starlight circle descended onto the pile of broken glass and transfigured into a bright, golden light which engulfed the shards.

The magic circle disappeared and as the golden light dimmed, the child bent down. When she rose, she held the bowl in her hands. It was completely whole with not a scratch to be seen on its surface. She held it out to Elfman, a huge smile on her face. Elfman took the bowl in his hands, "Oh, uh...Thank you," he said, still flustered.

"Hey, I didn't know you were a wizard too!" Lisanna exclaimed excitedly, taking the girl's hands in her own. The girl blinked, not understanding a word, but still smiling, extremely proud of herself.

"Ah well, I'll show you then!" Lisanna backed up and performed her takeover magic, Animal Soul, as she transformed herself into a large, colorful bird. At first the girl was shocked, but then she understood and, if possible, her smile grew even larger. She clapped her hands together in excitement, nodding fervently.

The guildhall soon descended into chaos as the other kids clambered to demonstrate their magic to the beaming little girl who finally discovered that she had found people just like herself. Suddenly dumped in a foreign land, incapable of returning back the way she had come, unable to speak to anyone, she had been utterly lost and alone. That day, she was very, very fortunate. She was found by one of the most deep-hearted wizards and taken to one of the greatest guilds in the whole land of Fiore. They had clothed her, fed her, and shown her great kindness. And best of all, they could use magic just like her!

* * *

After the excitement finally died down, the girl sat at a table with Lisanna, Elfman, and Cana. Natsu and Gray were currently unconscious, having been smacked down by Erza after starting another brawl during the chaos. Erza and Mirajane had then taken a dispute outside, so it was just the four of them left. Lisanna was trying to speak to the girl.

"My name is Lisanna," she gestured to herself and then at the girl, "What is your name?"

But the girl just blinked and smiled some more. Determined, Lisanna tried again. She put a hand on her own chest and said, "Lisanna." She reached over and touched her brother and said, "Elfman." Then she did the same with Cana. Finally she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and looked questioningly at her. Understanding dawned on her face, and the pink haired girl cried out happily, "Okami Amaterasu! Watashi wa Okami Amaterasu desu!"

(_End of Chapter One_)

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Hey, guys! Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you liked it and think I should continue this story. Or if you didn't like it and think I should just stop, I'm cool with that too. Just give me some feedback, Kay? Thanks again! - NightWing97_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two **

"What was that?" Cana asked, "_Oh call me I'm a terasu_?"

The girl shook her head, pushing her unruly pink hair out of her face, "Iee, O-ka-mi. A-ma-te-ra-su." Seeing their uncertain faces, she laughed then placed a hand on her chest, saying, "Ammy." Lisanna smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Ammy!" The girl nodded vigorously.

Ammy spent the rest of the night learning how to say all of the Fairy Tail kids' names. Eventually, after waking up, Gray and Natsu, accompanied by Happy, came over, and later Mirajane and Erza even joined in. By the end of the night, she knew all of their names, give or take a few mispronunciations. She got especially excited when she learned Natsu's name. She began speaking to him rapidly in her native tongue, but quickly realized that he didn't understand a lick of what she was saying. Then she tried to mime something out with her hands, but her efforts were futile. She grew tired and gave up after a while. Eventually the guild hall began to empty as everyone went back to their homes or dormitories for the night.

"Come on, Lisanna, Elfman," Mirajane was saying, as she headed toward the door.

"But Mira!" Lisanna cried, not moving an inch,"What about Ammy?"

"What about her?" her sister groaned, her long hair swishing as she turned her head to look at her little sister.

"She doesn't have anywhere to go!" Lisanna called back, putting an arm around the younger child, "Can't she come stay with us?"

"Lisanna, we don't have room," Mirajane sighed in exasperation.

"Please! She can share my bed with me!" Lisanna insisted; her blue eyes sparkled with hope.

"Ugh, fine, whatever. But only for tonight, got it?" Mirajane gave in, rolling her eyes.

Lisanna shouted with delight. She tugged the sleepy Ammy by the hand and skipped gleefully after Mirajane and Elfman through the guild doors and into the warm night.

* * *

The next day, back at the guild hall, Makarov had placed a big map in front of Ammy at one of the tables. All the continents of the world were displayed across its surface and the master was hoping Ammy could use the map to give them some information about where she was from. The small girl eyed the big map cautiously at first, but then became fixated on it. Her blue eyes ran up and down the map, her little eye brows furrowing in concentration.

"See Ammy, Fairy Tail is here," Makarov pointed at the Fairy Tail insignia that was placed over the city of Magnolia on the map. Ammy gazed at it, repeating, "Fa-er-I-Ta-ru..."

Makarov nodded, "Now, where is Ammy from?"

Ammy began scrutinizing the map again. Suddenly, her eyes widened in recognition and her hand slammed down on the map. Delighted that she had recognized it, she began chanting in an exuberant voice, "Nippon! Nippon!Nippon!"

The Fairy Tail wizards gathered around the map. When Ammy removed her hand, it appeared she had been pointing to a small series of islands to the far north east of the map. They stared in astonishment. That country was quite a great distance away from Fiore. In fact, most of them had never even heard of it.

"Never heard of it," someone stated, "Master, know anything about that place?"

"Not very much, I'm afraid," the Master grunted, "it's a very secluded country with little to no contact with the outside world, so no one really knows a lot about it. What I do know is that, like Fiore, it's a land of magic. I've heard that it's a very spiritual land as well - that it's a place where demons and gods wage war."

Discussion continued from there, but no definitive answer was found about little Ammy's homeland. Some took time between jobs to research Nippon, but little more could be found concerning the obscure country. Weeks went by, with not much progress being made on finding out who Ammy was. Makarov spent a lot of time researching Ammy's magic. She performed the object-restoration spell quite often now, since Natsu and Gray were always breaking things. Makarov was greatly pleased by this, because it meant that he wasn't constantly having to pay to replace the guild's furniture. That was the only spell he'd seen her use successfully, though.

He didn't recognize the characterization on the magic circle the girl used whenever she cast her spell. At first he researched Picto-magic, but with the help of Reedus, who specialized in that form, they ruled it out. Restoration magic and Time-Reversal spells were a bust too. Oddly enough, the feeling of the magic reminded him a little of Celestial Spirit magic, but it bore no other resemblances to it. Clearly this type of magic was a type unique to Nippon, and therefore Makarov highly doubted that he would be able to find out any more about it.

* * *

Several weeks had passed since Ammy came to Fairy Tail, and she had begun to pick up on the language. With Lisanna's ever present guidance, Ammy could now roughly communicate her needs and opinions, as she clearly demonstrated one day when Natsu accidentally pegged her with a mug that he had meant to throw at Gray.

"Natsu," she cried, rubbing the back of her head painfully, "Ehh you... Dunderhead!"

Everyone burst out laughing; even Natsu found it hard not to smile, even if she had just called him a dunderhead. He apologized for hitting her and then promptly blamed Gray for moving out of his line of fire. And just like that, another fight was started.

"Are you okay, Ammy?" Lisanna asked, inspecting the bump on the back of her noggin.

Ammy grinned, nodding, "Is fine."

"_I am_ fine," Lisanna corrected her gently.

The girl nodded, trying again, "I am fine."

"Good!" Lisanna praised, patting her on the top of her pink head, careful not to hit the sore spot.

Ammy was all smiles, but then suddenly her face turned downcast, like a dark cloud passing over the sun.

"What's wrong, Ammy?" Lisanna asked.

Ammy looked up at her and gestured to Lisanna's guild mark peaking out from her left sleeve, "Fairy Ta-ru." She was still working on her pronunciation.

"Huh? What about Fairy Tail?"

Ammy pointed to Natsu's guild mark, then Gray's, then Elfman's. "Fairy Ta-ru, Fairy Ta-ru, Fairy Ta-ru." Then she gestured at herself with a sigh, "No Fairy Ta-ru. Ammy ... I ... want be Fairy Ta-ru."

"Ammy, you mean you want to join Fairy Tail?" Lisanna gasped excitedly.

"Yes!" Ammy looked hopefully up at Lisanna, her blue eyes pleading, "Very do!"

Too giddy to correct Ammy's grammar, Lisanna jumped from her seat, instructing Ammy to stay where she was. The white haired youngster went across the room and spoke to Master Makarov who gazed down patiently at her from his bar top perch. Ammy fidgeted anxiously as she watched the short old man exchange words with her friend. After a few minutes, they turned to her and gestured with smiles for her to come over.

* * *

"Woah, Ammy, you're a member of Fairy Tail now too, huh?" Natsu asked with enthusiasm.

Natsu and Gray had paused from their brawl when they heard about the newest official addition to Fairy Tail.

"Mhmm!" Ammy smiled hugely at the older dragon slayer.

"So let's see it then," Gray prompted, pointing at the guild mark on his bare chest. Someone called from across the room, "Gray! Your clothes!" But apparently he didn't hear.

"Oh, see!" Ammy turned and pulled the neck of her dress down to reveal the Fairy Tail insignia placed between the upper ridges of her shoulder blades; its red color matched the tattoo markings on her face and shoulders, "Fairy Ta-ru!"

"Wicked!" Natsu roared, "Hey, now that your a member, I challenge you to a fight! Let's see how strong you are, c'mon! I'll even go easy on ya, how bout that!"

He jumped up and down, his fists up, a fire gleaming in his eyes. Ammy smiled and waved her hands back and forth submissively in front of her, not catching his words, but understanding his meaning.

"Leave her alone, Natsu," Lisanna chided as she walked up, "Of course she doesn't want to fight with you."

"Yeah, fire brains," Gray sneered, "Can't beat me, so you're going after little girls now, huh?"

"Shut up, ya icy freak," Natsu yelled, rounding on him, "I bet Ammy's way stronger than you!"

"Oh, yeah?" Gray growled.

"Oh, yeah!" Natsu shouted.

And then the fight resumed...

(_End of Chapter Two_)

* * *

**A/N**: _Hello again! Hope you enjoyed this week's chapter. I'll try to be posting once a week, but I start school again soon so we'll see how that goes. Thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear from you in the reviews! See you next week (hopefully)! _- NightWing97


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three **

Although Ammy enjoyed the noise and excitement of the guild, she often found herself searching for a peaceful place to sit and rest. Her favorite spot was behind the guildhall on the shore of the sea. She would sit on a rock and dip her toes into the warm water, gazing out at the rolling, blue waves. The sea breeze caressed the young girl's face, gently brushing her silky hair back behind her ears. The shrieking of the gulls and the crashing of the waves were the only sounds to be heard as she sat there, drinking in the scent of the ocean.

"I thought I might find you here," a familiar voice called out. Ammy turned her face away from the sea to find Master Makarov standing behind her. The squat old man wore his usual cape and fairy tail shirt, holding his staff in one hand.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

Ammy shook her head, scooting over on the rock to give Makarov room to sit. The Master plopped down with a huff and set his staff down beside him. They sat there in companionable silence, enjoying the afternoon sun for some time before Makarov spoke.

"It's been a few months since you joined Fairy Tail, Ammy. How are you liking guild life?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the sea.

"I love it here," Ammy said, still having to think about her words. She was becoming pretty adept at the language, but she was still learning. "Fairy Tail... Everyone is friends, and we are free to... to do what we want," she explained with a smile, but that smile faded as she gazed out at the horizon, "It's so different than Nippon."

"Don't you miss your home?" asked Makarov.

Ammy thought for a moment, "Yes... And no. It's not mattering though, because I cannot go back."

"Oh, and why is that?" asked the master trivially, as if he were asking why she had decided to eat a chocolate cake instead of a strawberry one.

There was silence. Ammy stared hard at her feet, her eyes dark and her hands clenched in her lap. Memories swirled in her head like a roaring typhoon. Her ears rang with sounds only she could hear. Pictures swam before her eyes: darkness, blood, water. A chill crept down her back like a spider made of ice. Then she shook her head slowly, tendrils of hair concealing her eyes as she continued her silence.

"If you don't want to talk about it," Makarov said after a few minutes, "then you don't have to. Although Fairy Tail may seem to be full of carefree wizards, each of us carries our own burdens. We laugh and joke, get drunk, fight, and pass out, but all of us are hiding sadness behind our smiles and tears behind our laughter. There is not one among us who does not bear the scars of the past on their heart.

"If you don't wish to share your past, no one alive can make you, Ammy. Wherever you've been, you are free to choose the path you will take from here. Your future is in your own hands. You are a Fairy Tail wizard now, and we are your family. This is your home. Don't you ever forget that."

At this, she turned her face upwards to look at the master. Her hair fell away, revealing huge tears welling in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. She sniffled pitifully, holding back sobs

"Ah - now, you don't have to cry," he smiled nervously, waving his arms.

The small girl ignored him and wept openly, wrapping her arms around the master, who bristled at first, but then returned her hug. He patted her head as she wept into his shoulder.

After a few moments, she mumbled something into his coat. "What was that, Ammy?" he asked.

She removed her tear stained face from his shoulder, "T-thank you, M-m-master," Ammy sniffled.

Makarov chuckled, patting her head again, "Ammy, call me Gramps. 'Master' sounds too formal coming from you."

Ammy laughed, smiling through her tears, "Alright, Gramps."

"Now c'mon, let's get back to the guild, shall we? I'm sure Lisanna's missing you, and I could use a drink myself."

The two stood up and walked back to the guildhall; Ammy held tightly onto the master's hand as he lead them back into the place that they both called home.

(_End of Chapter Three_)

* * *

**A/N:** _Hi, guys! Sorry this chapter was a day late and short; I am a bit busy. Hope you enjoyed it, and please leave me a review of what you thought! What past is Ammy running from? And how did it bring her to Fairy Tail? Find out next week! (Maybe hehe!) -NightWing97_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four **

Four corks bobbed up and down in the water, sending ripples across the sparkling surface of the pond. Lisanna, Natsu, Happy, and Ammy sat lazily on the bank; they each held a fishing pole in their hand as a hot breeze rustled the heavy green leaves overhead. Natsu had invited the two girls along with him and Happy to visit his secret fishing spot in the East Forest. Now, the four sat comfortably in the thick grass beside the water, hoping for a nibble on their lines.

"C'mon ya stupid fish," Natsu growled as his stomach simultaneously did the same, "I'm starvin' here!"

Lisanna giggled, "Be patient, Natsu. This is why it's called '_fishing_' and not '_catching_.'"

Natsu grumbled under his breath, glowering at his fishing pole. Happy began trying to talk the fish into biting his lure. Yawning loudly, Ammy set down her pole to stretch her arms over her head, as ever patient Lisanna watched her cork intently.

"Hey! I think I have one!" Happy cried, yanking his pole back. The fish reciprocated the action with immense force. It almost pulled Happy into the water, but Natsu grabbed hold of the small blue cat just in time.

"Oh, wow!" Exclaimed Natsu as he fought to keep his hold on Happy and the rod, "This one's gotta be huge!"

* * *

The catch provided the kids with a nice picnic lunch. Happy gnawed happily on his raw bit, while Natsu used his flames to sear up portions for Ammy, Lisanna, and himself. There was more than enough to satisfy them, and they were soon munching away as the cicadas sung drowsily in the trees.

Natsu was the first to notice that they were not alone. His keen sense of smell picked out their scent over the aroma of grilled meat. He set down his piece of fish, scanning the trees.

"Hey," he grunted at the others as he stood up, "We've got company."

The other three looked up in confusion, but after seeing the serious look on Natsu's face, they glanced around at the trees nervously. Without warning, the forest seemed to explode. The earth trembled and debris flew as a troop of enormous Forest Vulcans leapt from the shadows of the trees and crashed to earth around the small group of kids. Lisanna leapt to her feet, eyes wide with horror. There were at least five of them. Natsu's fists clenched, and Happy hid behind Natsu's leg, having abandoned his fish.

The horrible monkeys chattered and grunted with jeering laughter, their wicked smiles revealing their crooked, yellow teeth. One of the them stepped closer to the kids. "Heh heh," he grinned menacingly, "Fish no good, egg better. But kid took away egg, hit me good. Now we hit him good! Heh heh!"

Lisanna gasped, "Natsu, it's that monster from before!"

"Oh, yeah?" He called back, "Well if he's ready for a rematch, then bring it on! I'm all fired up!"

"No way!" cried Lisanna, "There are way too many of them! We have to get out of here, Natsu!"

"We no let little humans escape!" Laughed one monkey, "Trap them, hit them good."

It was true: there was no way out. The monsters had them completely surrounded now and were pressing closer by the second. Lisanna glanced from side to side, but they were blocked in. Panic rose in her throat; she took a step back, and her leg bumped into something on the ground. She glanced down and saw Ammy still sitting there, utterly frozen. Her eyes were stretched wide, and her pupils were tiny black pinpricks in the center of her glassy blue irises. Sweat trickled down her horror struck face. Her entire body was as rigid as stone.

"Ammy," Lisanna called, trying to sound calm, "Hey, look, it's going to be ok; we're fine, see. Natsu can handle this."

But Ammy couldn't hear her. Her ears were filled with the sound of howling monkeys. Then there was the screaming and the awful sound of flesh being ripped apart. People were shouting and shrieking; children were wailing and crying. Metal clanged against metal, and inhuman chattering and gibbering echoed around her. A ghastly smell hung in the hot, thick air. A dark miasma surrounded Ammy as she struggled to keep running. A strong hand gripped hers tightly and pulled her along, while her other hand squeezed her paintbrush. Sharp rocks scraped at the bottoms of her bare feet as she ran blindly through the dark after her Sensei.

There was a light to her left. She glanced sideways over the edge of the cliff as she sprinted. One of the houses had caught fire, illuminating a hellish scene below. A monstrous horde of demons were descending upon the villagers. Dancing in and out of the the light of the flames, imps slashed and tore mercilessly at the rag-tag band of village people. They fought back with hoes and shovels, but the imps didn't even seem to take notice of their resistance. The distance was too great for her to make out details of the fight, but she was struck by the great horror of the swarming mass of demonic creatures who were crawling over her village like an army of giant ants.

Her Sensei's hand pulled her around a bend in the path, shielding Ammy from the view of the battle. He suddenly slammed to a halt, and Ammy immediately collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, while her legs throbbed fiercely. They had reached their destination; on top of the mountain overlooking Kamiki Village was a small garden with a shallow pool and a deck built for viewing the blossoms of the Konohana tree. This is where he finally stopped.

While the young girl struggled to catch her breath, her Sensei frantically searched the pockets of his robes. The howling and raging of the battle seemed to be growing closer. He checked and rechecked, patting his clothing from head to foot. Realizing that what he was looking for was not there, he cursed loudly, dropping to his knees. The Mermaid Coin... He was sure he had stuffed it into his pocket. It must have fallen out while they were running. It was too late to go back and look for it now; he could hear the imps approaching, their whoops and screams intensifying as they followed their prey's scent up the path. They'd be here any moment now to gleefully rip him and little Ammy to pieces, and he had forgotten the only thing in the world that could save the young goddess. Her death would be on his hands... Her young, innocent blood staining his fingers... The scared, purifying light of the goddess Okami Amaterasu reincarnate would be extinguished due to his carelessness. He was dooming the world to countless years of darkness and horrors.

But the a spark of hope appeared to him. He put his head to the ground and began to whisper a fervent, desperate prayer. This was their last hope, if only his prayer would be answered. He pleaded to Nuregami, the brush goddess who held the power of water, to lend him her powers. If only she would grant him the use of her Whirlpool technique, just this once, he could open up the Mermaid Spring without the Mermaid Coin and send Ammy through the portal to safety.

Ammy's heart sunk as a new noise met her ears; crashing footsteps and frenzied howling resounded from the path below her. Those horrible demons had finished off the villagers... They were coming for her next. Terror welled in her throat as she crawled on shaking limbs over to her Sensei, who was bent over on the ground mumbling to himself.

"S-se-ensei," her voice shook with fear, "Sensei! Onegai!"

She tugged on his robe, fresh tears of panic spilling from her eyes. The imps were almost on top of them. Their heavy breathing rose over the sound of their footsteps and their shouts. But Sensei remained prostrate, his eyes screwed shut in concentration. _Please, oh, please let this work_. He suddenly stood, sending Ammy reeling onto her back. He snatched the paintbrush from the girl's hand. Just as a band of slavering imps rounded the bend in the path, the man arched the tip of paintbrush through the air. To his great joy and relief, a spiral of blue ink hung over the pond. In a burst of bright light, the pond erupted into a shining vortex.

Ammy let out a shriek of blind panic as the demons raced towards her, fangs glistening. But a set of strong arms gripped her around the middle and lifted her into the air. Her Sensei shoved the paintbrush into her robe, kissed her on the forehead, then unceremoniously tossed her through the air toward the swirling whirlpool, shouting, "IKE!" Ammy cried out as she fell through the air. Before she disappeared into the bright water, the image of her Sensei facing off with the crazed pack of imps branded itself into her mind. Then she was swallowed up by the churning torrent of water.

Was it water? It certainly did feel wet. But it wasn't cool and fresh like water should be; it was hot and sticky. _How strange_, Ammy thought distractedly. The smell wasn't right either. This didn't smell like water at all. It had a distinct salt and iron tang to it. This was...

Blood was splattered across her robe. Ammy blinked. She wasn't in Kamiki. This wasn't the night she left Nippon. But she was surrounded by imps; that she could see for a fact. She was in the East Forest with...

"Natsu! Lisanna!" She cried, leaping to her feet, legs shaking. Her head whipped back and forth. Natsu was exchanging blows with the several of the imps. His shouts echoed through the forest and his flames sent waves of heat as he battled with all of his might. Ammy's stomach did a flip as she saw two more imps approaching a limp form lying on the ground several meters from her. Her blood ran cold. It was Lisanna, lying unconscious on the ground, blood soaking through her dress.

_No_.

_ (End of Chapter Four)_

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**A/N:** _Oh, no! A cliffhanger. How dreadful! Sorry, but I hope you liked this chapter. I tried to make it a little longer to make up for last week. So now you know a little more about Ammy's backstory and how she came to Fiore. How will Ammy deal with facing the creatures that attacked her village and chased her from her home? Find out next week in Chapter Five! Reviews please? Thanks for reading! -_ _NightWing_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five **

The imp raised its fist and brought it down hard on the helpless girl. But instead of feeling the satisfying crunch of her bones under his knuckles, his fist connected with something much more solid and painful. The impact jolted him all the way up through his arm to his shoulder.

Ammy crouched over Lisanna, her limbs shaking with the effort of holding her flaming reflector over her head with the weight of the imp's punch bearing down on her. Catching sight of her, the imp bared its teeth at its new opponent and jumped away, _relieving_ the weight on Ammy's arms; she lowered her reflector, and it disappeared in a shower of bright sparks. Eyes flashing, she gripped her paintbrush and sprinted toward the huge creature.

_It's just like when Sensei took me out to Shinshu Field_, she thought desperately as she charged headlong toward the imp. It swung at her, but she dodged to the side and jumped high, arching over the crouching monster. She held out her paintbrush, and the tip brushed the top of the imp's head. She rolled out of the fall and whirled around to face the beast again. Her attack had worked; a well of black ink was spilling out over the imp's head and covering its body, blinding and confusing the great beast.

It cried out in confusion as ink clogged it eyes and ears. Taking this chance, Ammy drew her paintbrush yet again. Flashing it in a swift movement, a silvery horizontal line was painted in the air. A magic circle swirled at her feet as she shouted, "Power Slash!"

With the sound like a slicing katana, a huge gash split open in the imp's back. It roared in pain, its spine arching around the bloody cut. Ammy reached up to grab her rosary beads, but a huge impact knocked her off her feet and sent her rolling across the grass. She gasped for air, trying to regain the breath that had been knocked from her lungs as she lay dazed on the ground. A shadow fell across her body. She looked up in alarm; the second imp was now looming over her. She rolled sideways just in time to avoid being crushed by its fist.

"Hold still so I crushing you!" The imp chattered, raising its other fist.

Still on her back, Ammy grabbed a section of her rosary bead necklace and ripped it off of her neck. Immediately it uncoiled itself to form a long, whip-like chain of glowing red beads that emanated magic power. With a loud cry, Ammy slung the rosary whip. The end sang through the air and caught the imp across the face, lashing it repeatedly in rapid succession. Stunned, the creature howled in pain as Ammy brought the rosary across and slashed at the imp's other side.

While she defended herself from the ground, the first imp had recovered from the ink. He came up from behind and snatched the holy rosary from the girl's hands. But as soon as the last section of beads lost contact with Ammy's skin, the entire chain fell apart. As if there had been nothing holding them together but Ammy's will, the beads clattered to the grassy floor, scattering themselves in every direction as they bounced and rolled away freely.

The imp screamed in frustration as the beads slipped through his meaty fingers before turning his rage on Ammy. Before she could react, the imp had snatched her up in his hand and squeezed his fist tight so the girl was crushed in his palm. Ammy struggled to breathe as the monkey tightened its hold on her. Her eyes bulged; cold sweat broke out on her face. Beginning to panic, she racked her mind for a plan, but the lack of oxygen was beginning to take its toll. The edges of her vision began to darken, and a numbing, tingly feeling spread throughout her body.

Just as she was slipping into unconsciousness, a projectile slammed into the imp's head with incredible force. Dazed, the imp stumbled before releasing Ammy and crashing to the ground. Ammy fell too, but she landed on something that definitely wasn't ground... It was squishy, but also hard and poking in the middle of her back...

Squinting through her confusion, Ammy tilted her head back to see what she had landed on. _It's probably whatever hit the imp, but..._, she thought skeptically as her vision focused. A head of spiky pink hair and a scaly, white scarf greeted her eyes.

"Natsu?!" She scrambled backward off of her pink headed friend.

He groaned in pain before sitting up, rubbing his shoulder which was probably what had been poking her back. "Jeez, Ammy. When did you get so heavy?"

Too relieved to be offended, she got to her feet, holding out a hand to help him up, "Thanks. You saved my neck just now."

"What, saved-? Oh, yeah, totally. Uh, no problem," he grinned, taking her hand and struggling to his feet.

A loud crash interrupted them. The two kids spun around, backs to each other to face the threat. They were once again surrounded; five fully grown forest vulcans encircled them, all bearing marks from the fighting; judging by the looks on their faces, they weren't too pleased about it either.

"Wait, you mean you didn't finish them off?" Ammy whispered, eyes wide, "then how come you took out mine?"

"Uh, yeah, well ... that was more or less an accident," Natsu explained with a toothy grin.

Ammy sighed in exasperation, her back pressed to his, "You dunderhead."

The troop of imps circled them threateningly, chattering and calling out broken taunts. Natsu and Ammy kept their backs to each other and their eyes on the imps. Neither side was giving in.

"Natsu, where's Happy?" Ammy had only just noticed the absence of the blue cat.

"He flew back to the guild for help," Natsu responded, "They should be here soon. Is Lisanna okay?"

Ammy glanced over at her fallen friend who was out of Natsu's range of vision. "She's still breathing, but it doesn't look good. She needs help, and soon."

"Well then," growled Natsu, fire engulfing his fists, "Let's roast these chimps!"

Ammy nodded determinedly, and they both launched back into the fight. They were sorely outnumbered, but neither Natsu nor Ammy was about to let the cheeky beasts outdo them. Ammy raced forward and snatched up one of the small red beads from her rosary; immediately the rest of the beads flew from their scattered resting places and strung themselves back into a long, coiling chain. She kicked off from the ground, twirling the rosary whip over her head before lashing it down on her enemies. Natsu roared as he flung himself at the nearest imp, his flames scorching it as he landed blow after blow. The two kids raged against the imps, but the imps raged back.

Natsu was pounded into the ground by an imp's fist. He jumped to his feet only to be caught by another blow and thrown backwards. Ammy cried out as she took a direct hit and was driven into the trunk of a tree. Both she and Natsu regained their feet, refusing to stay down against the barrage of blows. However, they were unable to keep all five at bay at once and it wasn't long before Lisanna was a target again.

Natsu thrashed wildly underneath the foot of one of the creatures. He spotted the other forest vulcans heading toward the unconscious takeover mage. He struggled all the harder, but was unable to throw off the vulcan's hold. "Ammy, Lisanna!"

Ammy saw them too. She broke away from the imp that was clawing at her and raced toward her friend. _Almost there, almost there!_ They were almost on top of her. _Faster_!

But then something huge hit her hard in the back, throwing her onto her face. The ground tore at her as the weight of it pressed her down into the dirt and dragged her forward. Darkness clogged her senses for a moment before the pain reached her. Ammy groaned; her entire body felt broken. She tried to push herself up, but a massive weight was holding her down. She couldn't pick body up even an inch off the ground..._it hurt so much. Lisanna, I'm so sorry. I can't..._

The next thing Ammy knew, the weight was being lifted off of her. She ached from head to toe. There were voices; she forced her eyes open. She could make out blurry shapes moving about in front of her, but her vision swam and her eyes slammed shut again.

"Ammy? Ammy, can you hear me?"

But Ammy was out cold. Elfman had just lifted the giant tree branch off of her back with his beast arm, but it seemed she was really down. Erza was busy tracking down and destroying the fleeing forest vulcans, while Mirajane cradled Lisanna's unconscious form in her lap. Gray was kicking Natsu, trying to get him to wake up, but Natsu seemed to have started snoring. Elfman shook Ammy gently on the shoulder, but the pink haired girl didn't rouse.

Eventually, Erza returned from the forest, cleaning her sword before un-requiring it. "Come on," she commanded haughtily, "We need to get these three to Porlyusica's." Mirajane stood up fretfully with Lisanna in her arms, Gray begrudgingly threw Natsu roughly over his back, and Elfman carefully lifted Ammy up onto his shoulder. The group set off toward the unsociable healer's house in silence, hoping that they hadn't been too late.

(_End of Chapter 5_)

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**A/N:** _Hey, everyone! Sorry that it took me two weeks to get this chapter out. I wasn't home last weekend, so yeah. :P Hope you enjoyed it though. Reviews would be greatly appreciated. Will our little crew be okay after being attacked by the vulcans? Can Ammy keep the secrets of her past hidden for much longer after displaying more of her divine powers? Or will anyone even believe her? Find out next week in the next installment of A God in the Realm of Fairies! -NightWing_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six **

Although they had initially thought that Natsu, Lisanna, and Ammy were in critical condition, Porlyusica had most brusquely assured them that, apart from needing bandages and rest, the kids would be absolutely fine. After that, Erza and the rest hauled the unconscious bunch back home to recuperate. Several days later, though still battered and bruised, the three were up and about again. At this point, of course, everyone wanted to hear about how they'd ended up in such a state.

It was a rainy day, so for lack of anything better to do, some of the guild members gathered around to hear the story. Lisanna, who was heavily bandaged on her side but otherwise healthy, began with the tale of when she and Natsu first encountered the Vulcan in the forest when Happy was still an egg. Then she started describing the events leading up to the horrible encounter with the entire troop. Natsu was too busy stuffing his face to add to the story, and Ammy seemed uncharacteristically withdrawn from the action, so Lisanna continued on until the story came to the point where the encounter had begun.

"I looked down saw Ammy sitting on the ground; she couldn't even move she was so frightened," Lisanna glanced sympathetically over at her friend.

However, Ammy didn't seem to be pleased with how the story was going. "I wasn't scared," she almost growled, staring at the ground. Bandages covered one of her eyes, but the other was brimming with frustration.

Taken aback by her sudden hostility, Lisanna recoiled, looking hurt. Ammy felt bad for snapping at her friend, but the way she was talking made her sound like a scaredy cat. She tried to correct herself, "I wasn't scared, I just... I didn't expect to see imps here, that's all."

There was a pause. "Whadd'ya mean, 'imps?'" Gray asked, his legs propped up on a chair.

Ammy screwed up her one visible eyebrow, "Imps, Forest Vulcan, whatever you want to call them. We have them in Nippon, except they're much nastier and they carry weapons. They're terrible monsters... When I saw them here I just..." She trailed off, unsure how or if she even could finish that sentence. Cold memories trickled through her mind, reminding of a night she wished she could forget.

"Oh, now. I get it," Lisanna smiled, putting a hand on Ammy's knee, "You weren't scared, you were just shocked to see them here in Fiore. That makes sense. I'm sorry if what I said hurt your feelings."

Ammy smiled weakly back up her friend, still shivering internally, "Yeah, me too."

From there, Lisanna continued her tale until she reached the part where she received her injury and went unconscious. Natsu, now thoroughly engorged, leapt into his own fiery account of the action. He demonstrated his story energetically, intermittently sending tankards and often people flying across the room. Ammy much more sedately chipped in her own account, but often her voice was drowned out by Natsu's interactive play-by-plays. Happy piped in with his grandiose tale of his dramatic rescue mission to find help, and then the "Rescue Team" added their bit about how the story came to a happy ending.

Then a lively question and answer session ensued. Ammy came under scrutiny. Almost no one could believe that one of the smallest, most docile of the misfits was capable of such intense fighting power. Ammy laughed it off at first, but she was secretly regretting that she has revealed her capacity for violence. If they knew what she was, what she was capable of... They would treat her differently, she didn't want that, but...

"What, her?" Laxus scoffed from the bar, "I don't believe it; that squirt's hardly bigger than my shoe."

Ammy itched with irritation. She may not want them to know what she could do, but she did not appreciate the mocking in the teen's voice.

"No way, she couldn't slice a candlestick, much less a full grown Vulcan," he drawled, taking a swig of his drink, "You must'a been dreamin, Natsu."

Ammy gritted her teeth. _I used my magic to protect my friends. It saved us. Now this guy is laughing at me for it. Even if I tried to hide my power, I am not weak. _

"I'd like to see her try, I bet she couldn't even scratch the paint off the wal-"

"_POWER SLASH!_"

Although some of them had seen this coming, no one expected the degree to which it would occur. Saved by his lightning fast reflexes, Laxus dropped a split second before the attack could hit him. Instead, the sound of a slicing katana was accompanied by the shattering of a multitude of liquor bottles and the crunch of wood as the bar shelf collapsed. Heavy fumes of alcohol choked the air as the liquid spilled across the floor. When the noise finally ceased, Laxus looked up from the ground to see the little pinkette standing rigidly with her paintbrush held out to one side, a cold blue glare fixed on him.

"Not the booze!" Someone shouted from across the room.

With that, Ammy turned and strode out of theguild hall, with everyone's gaze following her.

(_End of Chapter Six_)

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**A/N**: _Hello again! This is a day late and shorter than I would have liked it to be, but it's here. I'm giving a special shout out tonight to **ultima-owner**; I appreciate all of your reviews! Next week: How will the guild react to Ammy's outburst of violence? Is she ready to deal with the consequences of her actions? Plus, what will happen when her past and her present collide? Find out in Chapter 7! As always, thanks for reading! See ya next time!_ - _NightWing_


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